Poland – regaining independence

Building of the state

 Aims of the powers
• Russia: uniting the Polish lands under tsars
rule, with cultural autonomy
• Austria: incorporating Kingdom of Poland to
Galicia
• Germany; no clear plans
• Western Powers: the Polish cause an internal
issue of Russia
1915 – Russians evacuate Polish Kingdom – the German
occupation starts: The German troops enter Warsaw,
08.1915
 Act of 5th November
• 05.11.1916 – the declaration of German and
Austrian emperors: proclaiming Polish
Kingdom in the alliance with the Central
Powers
The poster with the Act
 Polish actions
• Prorussian orientation – after 1915 activity in
Paris and London
Roman Dmowski, the leader of Polish right-
wing nationalists, chairman of PNC
 Józef Piłsusdski
• Main aim: independence; tactical cooperation
with Austria against tsarist Russia, the main
enemy
• From 1912 forming military units in Galicia,
preparing to act in the Kingdom of Poland
when war starts
• Supported by a left wing independence camp
Józef Piłsudski, 1910-1920
Piłsudski enter Kielce, 08.1914
August 1914 - Piłsudski and his units cross
the border with Russia (Kielce 1914)
• The Polish Legions formed, connectes with the
Austrian Army
• 1, 2 and 3 brigade
The uniform of Legion’s soldier
 Polish Military Organization
• A secret military organization under the
command of Piłsudski
• Sabotage, intelligence , training
 After the Act of 5. November
• Polish administration formed
• Piłsudski as member: „minister of war”
• Polish troops formed (dependant of
Germans): s.c. Polnische Wehrmacht
Provisional Council of State – the first
meeting (01.1914)
 The reactions of the powers
• 03.1917 – the declaration of the Russian
Provisional Gov.: a promise to create an
independent Poland in a „military Union” with
Russia, on territories predominatly ethnically
Polish
• 01.1917 – president Wilson expresses: there
should be a united, independent, and
autonomous Poland
 Polish National Comittee formed
• Paris, 08.1917 – aiming on restoring
independence with help of Entente powers
• concerned by France as provisional Polish
goverment
 The oath crisis
• Piłsudski reconsider his strategy:
• Russia, in state of chaos, is no longer the
major threat (or: a compromise with
democratic Russia is possible)
• There is no need to cooperate with the
Germans, who in fact are willing only to form
Poland as puppet state
• Winning of the independence in the alliance
with western countries
 July 1917
• The Polish Legions supposed to be
incorporated into Polnishe Wehrmach, and
put an oath of allegianc to German emperor
• Piłsudski persuades the soldiers to decline to
make this oath
The soldiers decline to make the oath
and drop their weapon
 Consequences
• Soldiers who were citizens of Austria-Hungary
(roughly 3,000) were then forcibly drafted into
the Austro-Hungarian Army or the Polnische
Wehrmacht, demoted to privates and sent to the
Italian Front,
• Those born in other parts of occupied Poland
were interned in prisoner of war camps in
Szczypiorno and Beniaminów
• Piłsudski himself and his Chief of Staff Kazimierz
Sosnkowski were arrested on 22 July 1917 and
interned in a German fortress in Magdeburg
Piłsudski interned in fortress
Magdeburg
 1918 – Polish authorities rebuild:
several centers of power
• Kingdom of Poland: Regency council – formed
by Germans, replaced the Provisional Council
of State, residing in Warsaw
• Lublin: socialist government formed (07.11) by
Piłsudski’s supportes from the left-wing
independence camp and Polish Military
Organization
• Galicia – Polish commitees
• Paris – National Commitee, volunteers army
10.11. 1918 – Piłsudski returns
The german soldiers disarmed
Piłsudski seizes power - november
• Regency Council appoints him a commander
in chief of the army
• Entrust him the task of forming a national
government
• German forces evacuate the Kingdom
• Piłsdudski denotes the powers about creating
the Polish independent, democratic republic
• Nominates himself
The first government
PM: Jędrzej Moraczewski
 Decisions
• Universal suffrage (including women)
• 8 hours working day
• Social insurance of workers
• Free, obligatory primary school
• A program to build a socialist economy
 Reconsiderations
• Socialist character of the governement causes
problems:
• Rejected by the social elites and the right-wing
nationalist (having an army in its disposal, PNC
being considered as a Polish government,
trusted by Western allies
• New governemnt is neccesary, based on a
compromise with the right, to participate in
Peace Conference convoked in Paris.
 Józef Ignacy Paderewski
• Famous pianist
• Friend of president Wilson
• Popular in Poland
Cartoon in „Vanity Fair”, 1899
Paderewski’s government, est. january
1919
 January-February 1919
• January:
• Polish delegation participate in Paris peace
conference
• Parliamentary elections held
• February
• The parliamen (sejm) addopts s.c. Little
Constitution
 The Little Constitution
• Executive powers - Chief of State – the post
given to Piłsudski:
• Names the ministers (with the consent of the
Sejm)
• Is responsible before the Sejm
• Has no legislative initiative, can not dismiss
the Sejm
• All his acts required the signature of the
relevant minister.
Regaining independence

The borders
The process of buliding the territory
 The borders settled in series of
conflicts
• The Polish-Ukrainian War (1918–19)
• The Polish-Lithuanian War (1920, culminating
in Żeligowski's Mutiny)
• From 1918 Polish-Czechoslovak border
conflicts (beginning in 1918)
• The Polish-Soviet War (1919–21)
August 1920 – Battle at Warsaw
Eaglets defending Lemberg (Lwów),
the painting
Gen. Żeligowski enters Vilnius, 1920
Vilnius region
Polish propaganda poster showing Polish cavalry
and an ape-like Bolshevik soldier, with the
caption: "Smash the Bolshevik"
The western border
Greater Poland (Wielkopolska)
uprising, 1918-1919 (painting)
 Silesian risings
• First – 1919
• Second – 1920
• Third - 1921
Silesian risings
Upper Silesia, borders, 1921
Silesian Insurgents Monument in Katowice.
The largest and heaviest monument in
Poland (1967).
 March Constitution, 21.03.1921
• Parliamentary democracy, votes for women
• Republic
• Civilian liberties, extended political freedom
• Independent judiciary system
• Privileged position of catholic church granted
• Obligatory primary school